Sam Weller
conductor
Artistic + Music Director: Ensemble Apex
About
Sam Weller is a conductor based in Sydney and Amsterdam, dedicated to sharing his passion for orchestral music with the wider world.
In 2016 Sam founded Ensemble Apex, which has been hailed as ‘one of the most exciting new ensembles on the Sydney scene’ (Limelight Magazine). The orchestra creates exceptional orchestral music moments for newcomers and seasoned concert-goers alike. Apex has presented sold-out seasons since 2016, highlights include Bela Bartok’s Miraculous Mandarin at Sydney Town Hall, Rhapsody in Blue with Simon Tedeschi, Strauss’ Eine Alpensinfonie and most recently a critically acclaimed production of Verdi’s Messa da Requiem which received a credit as one of the most exciting performances of 2023 in the Australian Book Review.
“Ensemble Apex are next level - taking music performance in Australia to new heights with a thrilling blend of blistering virtuosity, studied finesse, generous warmth and youthful exuberance.If this is the future of music in Australia - then we are in excellent hands!”
Nigel Westlake - Composer - 2021
“Weller’s orchestra is one of the most adventurous in Sydney, performing with a maturity beyond its years under concertmaster Anna Da Silva Chen, aiming for an audience that is looking for something other than the conventional concert hall experience.”
Steve Moffat - Limelight Magazine - 2022
Sam is enjoying a blossoming freelance career in The Netherlands and Australia having recently debuted with Noord Nederlands Orkest, PHION, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, the Dutch Radio Philharmonic (in broadcast) and made his Dutch operatic debut with a national tour of Mozart’s Zauberflöte. Sam is currently a member of the Australian Conducting Academy working with all of Australia’s symphony orchestras.
In 2022 Sam graduated from the prestigious National Masters of Orchestral Conducting in The Netherlands where he studied with Ed Spanjaard, Jac Van Steen, Kenneth Montgomery OBE and guest professor Antony Hermus. Through his involvement in the NMO, Sam has conducted many of the Netherlands’ professional orchestras including; The Netherlands Philharmonic, Noord Nederlands Orkest, Residentie Orkset (The Hague Philharmonic), Nederlands Kamerorkest, Philharmonie Zuid Nederlands, Het Ballet Orkest, Sinfonia Rotterdam and also worked with the singers of The Dutch National Opera Academy. Prior to his studies, Sam appeared in international masterclasses with some of the world's leading conductors including; Paavo Jarvi and David Zinman.
“With this, his debut appearance with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, he has put an indelible stamp in his already impressive international credentials ‘passport’. ”
Clinton White - Limelight Magazine - 2022
“This isn’t intended to be a review, but I should mention that the performance, conducted with complete authority by Sam Weller, was remarkably good.”
Andrew Ford - Composer and Writer - 2022 (after Verdi’s Requiem)
In Performance
In Print
click the title to read moreVerdi Requiem - Sydney Morning Herald
Verdi Requiem - Andrew Ford
Verdi Requiem - Limelight Magazine
Canberra Symphony Orchestra - Limelight Magazine
Canberra Symphony Orchestra - Canberra City News
Orchestrating Change - Sam Weller - Limelight Magazine
At Work
MAR ‘24
Haagse Hits - Collaboration with PAARD Den Haag + KC Orchestra
Tickets
APR ‘24
Greenway Series - Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Contemporary Music Ensemble
Reich - City Life
Daugherty - Whats that Spell?
Stanhope - Wheels Whithin Wheels
Harrison - Bend, Boogie, Break
Tickets
JUNE ‘24
Semi Finals - International Conducting Competition Rotterdam
Tickets
City Proms - Noord Nederlands Orkest
Repertoire includes:
Bizet - Symphony in C
Mendellsohn - Midsummer Nights Dream
Ticket details soon
Past Projects
FEB ‘24
Transformations - Dutch National Opera Academy
Amare- Den Haag
JAN ‘23
Symphonic Orient - PHION
rehearsal conductor
Australian Conducting Academy - Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
FEB ‘23
World Pride Festival 2023 - Sydney Youth Orchestra
Music Director and conductor
MARCH ‘23
Australian Conducting Academy - Western Australian Symphony Orchestra
APRIL ‘23
Gulda Cello Concerto in PARADISO - Amsterdam
w/ Floris Mijnders (Munich Philharmonic)
MAY ‘ 23
Die Zauberflote - Opera2Day
The Hague
Family Concerts - PHION
G.Mahler - Symphony No.1
JUNE ‘23
Die Zauberflote - Opera2Day
The Hague
Family Concerts - PHION
G.Mahler - Symphony No.1
JUL ‘23
Die Zauberflote - Opera2Day
De La Mar Theatre, Amsterdam
AUG ‘23
Last Night at the Proms - Willoughby Symphony Orchestra
Australian Conducting Academy - Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
OCT ‘23
Die Zauberflöte - Opera2Day - National Tour
Leeuwarden, Enschede, Venlo, Utrecht
NOV ‘23
Die Zauberflöte - Opera2Day - National Tour
Haarlem, Rotterdam
SEP ‘23
Australian Conducting Academy - Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Die Zauberflöte - Opera2Day - National Tour
--
2022
JAN ‘22
Masterclass - Lorenzo Viotti - Netherlands Philharmonic
J. Brahms - Symphony No. 2
Nederlands Viool Concours - Residentie Orkest
A. Berg - Violin Concerto
E.W. Korngold - Violin Concerto
Assistant to Bas Wiegers
FEB ‘22
Masterclass - PHION
Carmen - Irish National Opera
G. Bizet - Carmen
Assistant to Kenneth Montgomery
MARCH ‘22
Carmen - Irish National Opera
G. Bizet - Carmen
Assistant to Kenneth Montgomery
APRIL ‘22
Masterclass - Noord Nederlands Orkest
D. Shostakovich - Symphony No.5
Masterclass - Lorenzo Viotti - Netherlands Philharmonic
P. Tchaikovsky - Symphony No.4
M. Ravel - La Valse
MAY ‘22
Messa da Requiem - Residentie Orkest
G. Verdi - Messa da Requiem
Assistant to Anja Bihlmaier
Metamorphosis - Noord Nederlands Orkest
G. Verdi - La Forza Del Destino Overture
S. Barber - Violin Concerto x Hannah Solveij Gramß
P. Hindemith - Symphonic Metamorphosis
Tickets
JUNE ‘22
Pieter Rolf Jeudgconcerten - Noord Nederlands Orkest
Various Repertoire, touring throughout June
Tickets
Composers Stipendium - Radio Filharmonisch Orkest
to be broadcast nationally later this year
SEP ‘22
War and Peace - Canberra Symphony Orchestra
R. Strauss - Metamorphosen
M. Williamson - Piano Concerto No.2
L.v.Beethoven - Symphony No. 3
Tickets
OCT ‘22
Parisian Rhapsody - Willoughby Symphony
C. Saint Saens - Danse Macabre
C. Debussy - Premiere Rhapsody x Oliver Shermacher
A. Chance - World Premiere x Oliver Shermacher
G. Faure - Requiem
MASS - Ensemble Apex
G. Verdi - Messa da Requiem
ensembleapex.com
NOV ‘22
Sydney Conservatorium of Music - European Tour
alongside Roger Benedict
Manchester, London, Leipzig, Berlin
November 21 to December 2
Schumann - Symphony No.4
Kodaly - Dances of Galanta
Hindson - Saxophone Concerto x Amy Dickson
Clifford - Interior Landscapes
